If you were to ask an AI chatbot, “what is love according to the Bible?”, you would get this answer: In the Bible, love is not primarily an emotion, but an active choice and a reflection of God's nature. It is a selfless and sacrificial commitment to the well-being of others, demonstrated through actions and a desire to see them flourish. This kind of love is unconditional and focuses on the good of the other person, not on personal feelings or benefits. So, what is love? If you take out the Bible, the world’s definition of love is primarily a positive emotion that you feel towards another person. And while that is true, the Bible’s definition of love is more enduring than that because it doesn’t start with us and our feelings; it starts with the other person and what we are willing to sacrifice for them. The Bible’s definition of love always includes self sacrifice. In our passage this morning, the Apostle Peter makes a claim about Jesus to which Jesus says in Matthew’s account: “Upon this rock, I will build My church.” So, upon what kind of love is our church built, both as the church gathered and as the church scattered in the world? That is the theme of our passage this morning, let’s look closer.
